Nothing Left
by sleepintheharding
Summary: Aria and Ezra brought Rosalie Fitz into the world when Aria was only 19. Years later, they're raising their daughter separately, the only intimacy being the small touches they exchange when passing her back and forth. But is there anything left beneath the ruins of their relatonship?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello lovely people. Here is the start of my new story. I have a lot of plans for it. (Actually, it has consumed my mind and I've barely been able to sleep at night...or do much of anything.) I want to warn you that this story will be nothing like Stepmother at 17. It'll piss you off. You may hate me. Or maybe you won't read past chapter one because you simply don't give a shit. But please try to give a shit? I won't disappoint you. Or I'll try not to?**

**Thank you to Becca and Flo who have already helped me tremendously with this story. And I apologize for my inspiration explosions. **

* * *

Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz had an _impossible_ love. _Impossible_ for them to fall in love, _impossible_ for them to be together, and _impossible_ for them to fall out of love. But when their love was pushed aside for something greater, it faded beneath the dust until it was forgotten all together. Days turned into years, longing turned into indifference. And most unfortunate of all—it was _impossible_ for them to find it again.

There was simply nothing left.

Except for Rosie.

May 6, 2017

Aria stood behind her 3-year-old daughter as she attempted to force a brush through the small girl's mess of long, dark brown curls. She loved her daughter's beautiful hair, but she hated it all the same. It was a fight with the brush every morning, and therefore, a fight with her daughter's tears every day. The girl held her hands on the edge of the kitchen table, swinging her body from side to side on the bar stool. There weren't any tears today—yet.

"Rosalie Ella Fitz, you need to sit still or I'm going to cut your hair off!" Aria scolded in sheer frustration. They didn't exactly have all the time in the world. The brush tore through her daughter's hair, trying to break a stubborn tangle.

Rosie had her father's unruly hair and blue eyes, but her mother's bright smile and petite stature. She was Daddy's princess and Mommy's reason to live.

Rosie quickly stopped moving and attempted to sit still—or as still as a 3-year-old one week away from her fourth birthday was able to. "But I want to be Rapunzel!" she whined, worried that a shorter haircut would revoke her of princess status. Her daddy always told her she had princess hair. But her mommy was the one who was left brushing it when Daddy let his princess get her way.

"Rapunzel doesn't have curly hair like you do, Rosie," Aria told her wryly, swinging the stool around so she was facing her. "And I bet she actually lets her mommy brush her hair." She raised an eyebrow and stared down at her daughter's glossy blue eyes, who simply responded with a pout. Aria shook her head and continued to force the brush through her hair. "Blame your Daddy for the curly hair, not me." She collected Rosie's hair and separated it into three sections before braiding it to the side. It hadn't even taken fifteen seconds for the excited child to whip her head around at the sound of the door opening. Aria sighed loudly in exasperation. "Rosie, I'm _begging_ you to sit still so you can look pretty for mommy's graduation."

It was 10 a.m. and Aria had to be in Philadelphia at noon, but she still wore short shorts, a tank top and a messy bun while Rosie had on a pink nightgown. Rosie ignored her mother's pleas and slid off the chair. "Nannnaaaaa!" Rosie screamed, running across the kitchen of Aria's small apartment. She threw her arms around Ella, who swiftly picked her up and squeezed the young girl in her arms.

Ella tucked a strand of Rosie's hair behind her ear and smiled brightly at her granddaughter, one of the greatest joys of her life—even if it meant being a grandmother at 43. "Are you excited to see Mommy graduate from school?" Ella asked.

Rosie bobbed her head. "I got a pretty new dress," she beamed, squirming in Ella's arms in attempt to be let down. "Can I show you?"

Ella placed Rosie on the ground and turned her attention to her daughter, who had taken Rosie's seat. "You still haven't showered? Don't you have to be there in two hours?"

Aria nodded. After a week of final exams and last-minute graduation preparations with a hyperactive three-year-old, she was exhausted. "Can you get Rosie ready, please? Her clothes are on her bed."

Rosie tugged Ella's hand and dragged her down the hallway, leaving her grandmother no choice in the matter. "Wait here," Rosie instructed outside her bedroom. "I wanna surprise you!" Ella obliged and leaned against the wall outside the door as Rosie attempted to put her dress on. After two minutes, Rosie quietly opened the door. "Nana, can you help?" she whispered tentatively through the cracked door.

Ella grinned at her half-naked granddaughter. "Of course, Miss Rosalie. Anything for you."

_Anything for you. _

It had become the family motto.

* * *

Aria held a towel around her waist as she perused her small closet in search of a dress to wear. While she tried to maintain her appearance, she spent most of her time and money on her daughter. She hadn't realized how sparse her closet had become until this moment, and silently cursed herself for not buying a dress earlier. She only thought of Rosie. She always thought of Rosie. She picked up a disappointing navy dress—more suitable for winter—and held it in front of her body. With a loud groan, she dropped it to the ground and sat on the edge of her bed. If only she were in high school again.

Rosie burst through the door with her nana following closely behind her. A proud smile stretched across her face as she stood in front of Aria in her new dress—a brightly colored floral pattern with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. Ella had successfully braided her hair into two pigtails, and to Aria's shock, she had even managed to get Rosie's sparkly flats on.

"You look _beautiful_, Rosie," Aria told her. She leaned over her nightstand and grabbed her phone. "Smile so I can send a picture to Daddy." Rosie put her hands on her hips and smiled for her mother. Once Aria snapped a photo and sent it to Ezra, she returned to her closet in hopes of of discovering that a new dress had magically appeared. She did this often when her fridge was empty, and that never worked either.

Rosie followed her mother to the closet like a puppy dog, sitting down by her feet. "Will Daddy be there?" She looked up at her mother.

"No, he won't," Aria answered.

"Why's Daddy not gonna be at gaduation?"

"Because Daddy's yours, not mine. You'll see him tonight."

A dress didn't appeared in front of her eyes, much to her dismay. Aria crossed her arms and sighed, then turned to Ella who was sitting on her bed. "Mom, I don't have _anything_ to wear."

"You must have something. Don't you have like 100 dresses?"

"Yeah, I did about four years ago," Aria pointed out with a frown. "And then the baby weight decided to take permanent residence on my butt and I donated everything."

Ella gave Aria a sympathetic smile, not knowing exactly what to say. She folded her hands over her knee. "You're beautiful, Aria."

"Even so, compliments don't solve my dilemma."

Aria's phone vibrated from her nightstand. "Mom, can you see what it says?" Aria picked up the navy dress she had dropped and shrugged. "I guess this'll have to do..." she muttered disapprovingly, taking it off its hanger.

"Rosie, your Dad says you are the prettiest girl in the entire world," Ella read from Aria's phone. "And I agree."

Rosie had managed to maneuver herself to the back of the closet, looking through Aria's remaining old dresses. She poked her head between two dresses and with wide-eyed expression of pure joy, "Prettier than Rapunzel?"

Ella chuckled. "Rapunzel doesn't stand a chance next to Miss Rosalie Fitz."

Rosie smiled, but was quickly distracted by something to her right. "Mommy, I found a pretty dress!" Rosie squealed, tugging on a dress from below. It was a royal blue dress with an empire waist and lace straps. She wasn't tall enough to take it off the hanger, but after a few tugs, it fell to her feet.

Aria looked at Rosie stifled a laugh. "I wore that to Nana and Grandpa Zack's wedding when you were in my belly, so I _think_ it'll be too big."

Rosie picked it up and held it in front of her face, accentuating the dress's maternity size. It wasn't that large, but in comparison to her tiny size, it must've seemed gigantic. She dropped the dress and twisted her mouth into a sour face. "Mommy I never want to have a baby because I don't want to get fat."

Aria shook her head and laughed. "Rosie Posie, you're certainly a character."

After a few moments of deep thought, the curious 3-year-old added, "Can I marry a girl?"

Aria was used to her random questions that only made sense in her daughter's mind, so she wasn't phased by such an inquiry. She dropped her towel and stepped into the navy dress. "You can marry whoever you want," she assured her, "but steer clear of your English teacher." She pulled the straps over her shoulders and looked in the mirror. _Not bad. _

"Can I marry you?"

Aria peered at her daughter through the mirror. "Of course you can."

Ella stood up from the bed. "Ro, let's wait in the other room while Mommy finishes getting ready."

Rosie clumsily walked out of the room as told wearing a pair of Aria's heels. Of course, now they'd have to convince her to put her flats back on. Aria knew it was too good to be true.

"Mike, Zack, and your father are meeting us there. Did you say Spencer was coming?" Ella wondered.

"She better be or Rosie will throw a fit."

"And I'll throw a fit," Ella mentioned, a serious expression taking over her face. "She's the only one who can help me keep Rosie entertained during a 3-hour ceremony since Ezra isn't showing up." Her tone was filled with bitterness as it always was when she mentioned him.

"He had some appointment he couldn't cancel, Mom. There's really no reason he should be expected to go."

"I suppose you're right, but the girl has a father who should help out."

"He _does _help out, and honesty, he's probably a better parent than I am." Aria had accepted her reality years ago, and sometimes wondered if her mother wanted Ezra to take care of her as well. Aria didn't want that. She was happy living her single life—for now.

"You're wrong," Ella sighed and shook her head before exiting the room. She stopped at the door. "Hurry up. If I don't get to see my daughter walk across that stage after these past years, I will hold your diploma hostage."

* * *

Ultimately, It didn't really matter that Aria was wearing an out-of-season dress as it was covered with a large black graduation gown. Her perfectly curled long chestnut hair was topped with a hideous graduation cap. She hated whoever invented the graduation attire, forcing her to wear such an atrocity in front of thousands of people.

To Aria, the ceremony seemed to take years. To Ella and Spencer, the ceremony might as well have been a century. Rosie did not want to sit still, but when Aria's name was called and she walked across the stage, Ella and Spencer managed to control her for a moment so she could watch her mommy. Aria looked over the audience of strangers and witnessed a tiny hand waving to her in the center of the crowd. She did it all for the little girl who had her smile.

There was a time when Aria thought she'd never receive her diploma. Like the nights she cried more intensely than her baby as she tried to rock her to sleep. Or the nights when she thought she'd fail her exams because she spent hours fighting with a grumpy two-year-old. It took her five years, several part-time jobs, and a damaged pride to get to this moment. But even so, she managed to end her college education with a 3.7 GPA. It wasn't Spencer's idea of perfect, but it was a miracle nonetheless. Especially knowing all the times she was close to giving up on everything.

Aria stood in front of the venue as she posed for photos with her family members, holding an armful of flowers and her diploma. In each photo, Rosie stood by her side wide a large grin, her tiny fingers tugging on her mother's gown. She didn't completely understand why, but she knew she was proud of her mommy. And she insisted on being present in every photo.

When everyone had their turn with the graduate and Ella had taken a sufficient amount of photos—probably about 100—Spencer attacked Aria with the tightest hug she could manage. "Do you have any idea how proud I am?" Ella snapped another photo of this moment.

Aria rolled her eyes. "Spence, stop making this bigger than it is. You graduated a year and a half ago."

Spencer stepped back and looked down at Aria, narrowing her eyes. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Three years ago, I thought you were going to lose _everything_. You overcame that _and_ graduated with honors. Let me be proud of my best friend."

Aria smiled and chewed her bottom lip. "Fine." She looked behind her and noticed Rosie giving Ella a hard time, running around in circles and bumping into strangers. "Rosie, we're leaving. Do you want to get some lunch with Spencer and everyone else?" Her daughter perked up at the mention of her favorite aunt and darted across the pavement, immediately grabbing Spencer's hand.

When she graduated from high school, this was not what Aria imagined for herself in five years. She didn't expect to have a 4-year-old daughter with Ezra's last name, but she _did_ expect they'd be calling "Aria Fitz" instead of "Aria Montgomery" across the stage. She used to be so foolish when she believed in love stories. None of it seemed worth it anymore.

* * *

It was a normal Saturday night for Aria and Rosie, except this Saturday marked the end of the first chapter with her daughter. A fork in the road with countless roads to choose from. Each one meant something different for her daughter. Each one meant something different for Ezra. After her family had eventually deserted her apartment at 7 p.m., she attempted to buckle her overtired sugar-filled daughter into her car seat of her silver Prius. Rosie's dress had since been covered in a child's masterpiece of spaghetti sauce, dirt, and apple juice. Strands of frizzy curls fell out of her braids. She screamed and kicked as her mother closed the door. She didn't want to leave Nana. But on Monday, she'd likely not want to leave her father.

Aria had custody of Rosie Tuesday through Saturday; Ezra had his princess Sunday and Monday. Because they were on good terms, the days often changed to meet their schedules. But this week it was the norm.

Aria shut her door and put her keys in the ignition. "Stop screaming or I'll tell Daddy that you need to go right to bed," Aria scolded in her stern mother voice. "Just rest your eyes." She reached forward and turned the knob to turn on the radio, hoping to soothe her loud daughter. Hoping to soothe herself. Minutes passed and Rosie's screams dissipated until they turned into quiet breathing. Aria looked in the rearview mirror. She was asleep.

She pulled into Ezra's driveway. Unlike herself, he lived in a a beautiful three-bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood filled with kids. A swing set and a kiddie pool occupied his decent-sized backyard. Aria didn't have a backyard. Of course he had recently turned thirty and was eight years ahead in his life, but it always served to remind Aria that he could provide for their daughter far better than she could. It wasn't fair.

Aria stepped onto the driveway. Remnants of Rosie's chalk drawings remained on the pavement from last weekend. It appeared as if Ezra had traced Rosie, and then Rosie had traced Ezra. The two figures stood side-by-side holding hands. Aria smiled before slowly opening the back door of her car. She carefully unbuckled her sleeping daughter and propped her over her shoulder. She kneeled down and retrieved Rosie's tattered pink blankie from the floor. Forgetting the blankie would mean another trip to the neighborhood in the matter of hours. It happened several times before.

Ezra waited at the front door and gave Aria a friendly smile, opening the door to let the two girls in. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and a dark green v-neck t-shirt, but Aria was long passed falling for the small chest hairs that poked from under his shirt. "Hey," he whispered before taking his daughter and the blankie from Aria. The small girl stirred a little but didn't wake up. She nuzzled her head into the crook of her father's neck, knowing exactly where she was even in her sleep.

Aria stood on the tip of her toes to kiss her daughter's forehead. Her lips were inches from Ezra's neck, where they used to love to suck in prior years. Now it was just skin to her. "Love you Rosie Posie," she whispered. "I'll see you in a couple days." She lovingly ran her hand over her daughter's hair.

A woman appeared at the top of the stairwell. She was closer to Ezra's age, maybe a little younger. Her auburn hair fell to her shoulders and accentuated her beautiful brown eyes. She was thin, as if she never had to worry about staying fit. Like she could eat a package of Oreos in one sitting and not gain an ounce. It was enough to label her as a bitch, but she was far too nice for that. "Hey Aria," she greeted quietly, descending the staircase. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Aria simply replied.

The woman carefully put her hands around Rosie and took her from Ezra, as if she had been used to doing it for years. "I'll put Ro on the couch." She gently rubbed the girl's back and carried her in the other room, leaving Ezra alone with his ex-girlfriend.

Ezra loosely put his arms around Aria in a friendly hug and quickly let go. "Congratulations, Aria. I'm proud of you." He took a few steps to the left and grabbed a small blue gift bag from a table in the breezeway. He handed it to Aria with his trademark shy grin.

"You didn't have to get me anything, but thank you." She took the gift and exhaled a heavy breath. "She had a lot of sweets today. Don't let her have too much."

Ezra nodded and scratched behind his neck, as he always did. "Lindsey and I were actually going to take her out for ice cream tomorrow. But maybe we'll wait until Monday to give her a sugar break."

Aria nodded and bit her lower lip. "Yes, I don't want her getting used to it now that it's almost summer."

And just like every Saturday, the two exchanged a short casual conversation—mostly about their daughter—and said goodbye. It was the only intimacy they shared since 2013.

Before she pulled out of the driveway, Aria opened the small gift Ezra had given her—a charm bracelet with a cliche graduation cap charm. She placed it back in the bag and threw it onto the empty passenger seat. She looked in the rearview mirror at Rosie's empty car seat. It had been three years, but she'd never get used to the miserable emptiness that filled the car when she couldn't see her baby girl's tangled dark curls in the mirror.

Rosie spent nearly her entire life knowing nothing else but having two homes, two bedrooms, two separate parents. She wasn't old enough to remember the pain of her parents' split, but unfortunately, she also wasn't old enough to remember the impossible love they once shared.

But only once, and never twice.

* * *

**Just to motivate you to continue reading, the next chapter takes place in 2013—before Rosie was born. And it will alternate each chapter. (Easier to understand than flashbacks.)**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I had this story in my head for so long, and I was so nervous that you wouldn't like it. But the first chapter has over 40 reviews and I couldn't be happier. I'm so excited to continue. Enjoy! Thanks again to Becca for letting me harass her with this story.**

* * *

Before Aria slept alone every night, she slept in the arms of someone else.

Before Ezra started a life with Lindsey, he imagined his future with someone else.

Before Aria and Ezra fell in love with Rosie, they fell head-over-heels in love with each other.

August 15, 2012

It was really hot.

Ezra's curls stuck to his sweaty forehead as he tried to catch his breath, and Aria suddenly wished she were wearing shorts. Their feet seemed to cement into the hardwood floor while their eyes roamed the space in front of them. They hadn't expected the overwhelming feeling that surrounded them when they walked into their first apartment, their arms holding the first two cardboard boxes of move-in day. But it wasn't for no reason—after two years and 14 roller coasters, they'd made it. Of course, Aria had already made herself at home in Ezra's small one-room apartment in Rosewood, but this was different. This was their apartment, the place they had chosen together. And it had more than four walls. It even had two bedrooms—one for an office, not for a bed.

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted their hypnotic state. Aria turned to find her mother holding a blue plastic bin full of clothes in front of the door. "Where should I put this?" Ella asked. There was a hint of discomfort in her voice, weighed down with sadness that her baby girl was moving out.

"Down the hall, first room to the left."

The apartment was a 27-minute car ride from Rosewood and fifteen minutes from Philadelphia, situated in the artsy center of downtown East Brookhaven. It was only a fifteen minute walk to Elisa College, a small liberal arts school where Aria would be studying English. The area breathed young love, college loans, and the art of struggling artists and writers. The old ivy-covered brick building was nestled amongst a cozy bookstore and coffee shop full of typewriter-loving Justin Bieber-hating hipsters. Aria and Ezra had visited the area often on date nights and it was where they imagined starting the next chapter of their lives together.

Aria was only 18 and Ezra was nearly 26. Although she dealt with more than any teenager should, Aria still believed in love stories. To Ezra, Aria wasn't a character in a love story—she was the real thing. All they needed was a ring to seal the deal...but not quite yet.

"I should probably help the guys with the couch," Ezra mentioned with reluctance. He gave Aria a smile that mimicked the happiness on her face. He knew what this step meant to her, because it meant the same to him. He pressed a quick kiss on her forehead and walked out of the room.

Ezra continued to teach junior and senior English at Rosewood High alongside his girlfriend's mother, Mrs. Montgomery, which made the move somewhat awkward and extremely _scandalous_. Byron, Aria's less-accepting father, refused to take part in his daughter's shacking up with her former English teacher. Aria wished he'd see past the somewhat unconventional way their relationship started. Not that Ella had overcome it, which was evident from the look on her face when she dropped the box on the floor of her daughter's empty bedroom. Scratch that, her daughter and her daughter's former teacher's bedroom.

Aria finally put down the box she was holding and started exploring the space. Part of her wanted to delay helping her brother and mother's fiance carry the couch up the four flights of stairs, but the other part wanted to completely absorb herself in the experience. She ran her fingers across the white walls of the living area and sighed. Not a sad sigh, a very content sigh. She glanced at the apartment door and realized that all 5'2" of her wouldn't be of much help with the couch, anyway. Instead, she walked down the hallway—nearly in a happy prance—and checked out each of the rooms. The door to the left opened to the second bedroom, the office, which was still painted a light shade of pink for the previous couple's little girl. She smiled as she envisioned herself and Ezra sitting at their desks, talking about their days as they did their work.

"How do you feel?" Ella asked, walking the few steps across the hall. She stood next to Aria and gently placed her hand on her daughter's back. "Are you ready for this?"

Aria bit her lower lip and nodded, glancing at her mother. "It feels right." A smile crept onto her face that she wouldn't be able to hold back if she tried. Ella didn't return her smile, though. She took a deep breath and added, "It's not like we're getting married, Mom. I needed a roommate and Ezra's my best friend."

"I suppose so," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "I still don't love the idea of you two sharing a bedroom, but you're eighteen now. I have to let you make your own decisions."

"I wish Dad could see it that way, too."

"He'll get over it," Ella promised. "You'll understand when you have children."

Aria gave her mother a small smile before the two of them whipped their heads in the direction of the combined kitchen/living area. The apartment door swung open, as if one of the guys had kicked it. It slammed against the wall.

"Aria? A little help?" Ezra called, clearly frustrated. He walked backwards into the apartment carrying one end of the couch, while Zack and Mike carried the other. Ezra was struggling; he didn't exactly spend his life in the gym.

Aria quickly met them at the door, with Ella following on her heels. "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know?" Ezra quipped. "Maybe hold the door? Move some boxes out of the way?"

Aria quickly pushed some boxes to the side while Ella held the door open. The men carried the couch into the apartment and set it down on the floor.

"Where should we put it?" Zack asked, looking between Aria and Ezra.

Ezra was about to reply when Aria answered, "Against that wall." She pointed in the direction of the desired wall, not bothering to ask Ezra.

"What? Where will we put the TV?"

"Against the other wall?"

Ezra glared at his girlfriend. "But that's where the bookcase and desk are going."

Aria rolled her eyes in exasperation and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Do _whatever_ you want, Ezra. I really don't care."

Mike and Zack shared a look of amusement before Mike jumped into the couple's bickering. "You two are fighting like an old married couple and you haven't even been here for more than 20 minutes."

Ezra sighed in defeat. "I guess we'll put it against that wall." Aria normally didn't get outwardly angry, but she would likely take her frustration out on Ezra in small, annoying little ways. Like shoving his bagel violently in the toaster, so he'd end up burning himself trying to get it out. Or by not replacing the toilet paper.

The three men lifted the couch again and carefully maneuvered it against the wall that Aria had chosen. Aria watched and smiled in approval. She loved the view of the quaint town from this angle. It was her first place, so she had done significant planning weeks before move-in day.

"This is what they have 'man caves' for," Zack pointed out, using air quotes, "because the women always win in the rest of the house."

_Including in bed_. "I've noticed, but I don't think a 'man cave' is in our budget." With Ezra insisting on paying more than half the rent, it certainly wasn't.

"I'm not _that_ bad, Ezra." The harmless teasing seemed to take a turn. She hated the idea of a man cave. She hated the idea of Ezra having to have a room to escape her, and she promised herself that would never be them.

"That's why I agreed to live with you, isn't it?"

The tension dissipated with a simple line. Aria nodded, giving Ezra a smile that ended the playful bickering. The five members of the unconventional family made their way outside to collect more boxes and furniture. It took several trips, a few more arguments, and plenty of sweat. On their last trip, there were only enough boxes for Ella, Zack and Mike to carry. So instead of a box, Ezra carried Aria up the stairs on his back. He dropped her onto the couch and sat down next to her. Zack and Ella followed suit, while Mike took a seat on a kitchen chair. The stifling heat and humidity of the apartment was enough to exhaust them, never mind carrying heavy furniture up four flights of stairs.

"I don't want to unpack," Aria whined, likely speaking for everyone. She eyed the apartment scattered with boxes and misplaced furniture. They had brought a few boxes to their designated rooms, but after a couple trips, they just dropped them in front of the door. "Can the boxes magically unpack themselves?"

Ella was the first to get up. Everyone looked at her like she had done the unthinkable, as their legs felt like jelly and their clothes were glued to their bodies with sweat. "We have to leave in two hours. Do you want us to help or not?" The question was directed at Aria.

Ezra was the next to get up, and he offered Aria his hand. She groaned in frustration but accepted, standing up with help from her boyfriend.

"Zack and I can start building the bed, while you start to unpack in here," Ella volunteered. The bed was new and had yet to be assembled, and she wasn't sure if Aria even knew how to use a screwdriver.

Aria nodded and picked up a box from the floor, setting it down on top of a table. "Just make it sturdy," she told her, not realizing what had escaped from her mouth. Ezra looked at her, his eyebrows reaching the top of his forehead. The room was silent except for Mike's muffled chuckles from across the room. "I didn't mean it that way. It was a cheap bed." Her cheeks reddened and she looked down at the box in front of her, quickly pulling out items and placing them on the table. Even if they didn't belong there.

Ella shook her head, also pretending the last fifteen seconds didn't happen. "On second thought, you can handle that and we'll unpack your books." Books didn't have any sexual connotations that she could immediately think of.

Everyone went about their designated tasks, but not until Mike made his way by Aria and whispered, "Make sure it's _sturdy_ enough. I know Ezra's good at moving furniture."

Aria narrowed her eyes and slapped her younger brother on the shoulder.

Not that she didn't agree.

* * *

"Hold it straight, Aria, so I can get this done."

Ezra was lying on his side on the bedroom floor with a power screwdriver in his hand, trying to tighten a bolt that connected two parts of the black metal bed frame. With the stifling heat of the apartment, he had since changed into a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. Aria remained kneeling on the opposite of Ezra, impatiently holding the other side up while Ezra worked. She wore his t-shirt and a pair of panties. The couple had started building the bed soon after Aria's family left, though Ezra was far more productive than Aria. She was ready to jump into their lives as a couple who lived together, and didn't want to be bothered with menial tasks such as building a bed.

But it was their _bed_...

She watched him work, chewing her lip with a slight smile. "I could get used to living with you forever. Ezra, we have a _bedroom_." He needed the reminder in case he'd forgotten since she alerted him fifteen minutes ago.

"We do, indeed."

"We have a _bedroom_."

"You've mentioned. Can you make sure to tighten the bolts on the other side?"

"I'm not sure it'll ever sink in." She looked ahead at the wall but was staring into space.

"Aria, keep it straight, please," he begged. It was like asking a child to do homework when cartoons were on, except the homework was building a bed and cartoons were Ezra Fitz. "Or we'll both have to sleep on the couch tonight."

"I wouldn't really mind. It's happened before."

He learned to ignore her and continued working. Seventeen minutes ticked by, a few harmless critical words were exchanged, but eventually the bed was built and the mattress sat on top of it. Aria spread the sheets over the bed as Ezra started hanging his dress shirts in the closet, the same shirts he had worn to teach his girlfriend the previous year. She smoothed the wrinkles in the comforter with her hand and jumped onto the bed, her short legs dangling over the edge.

Most of the furniture sat in its place, but a lot of work was left for the upcoming days. Like the very empty drawers of their nightstands.

"There's nothing left to unpack for tonight," she anounced, exhaling a deep breath. In an afterthought, she added, "We should have a house warming party someday soon."

Ezra chuckled and hung a shirt in his closet, then sat beside Aria, taking her hands in his. "I can think of a few ways to start warming up the house." A devious grin stretched upon his lips. It wasn't every day that Mr. Fitz was naughty, but it wasn't a school night.

"You can?" She knew he could.

He released her hands and moved closer to Aria, so his lips were dangerously close to hers. "Mhmm," he breathed. Their eyes focused on one another's lips. Aria's breathing became heavy as she felt his hand rest upon her bare thigh, his thumb gently brushing over her warm skin. Her eyes didn't leave his lips. They didn't need a brutally hot afternoon in the middle of August to warm the house, and they certainly didn't need an apartment full of party guests. In fact, at this moment, even three people would be a crowd.

"You did a good job..." she breathed into his mouth, "...building the bed."

Ezra nodded and leaned a bit closer, if it were possible. The distance his fingers travelled up her thigh was directly correlated with the increasing speed of her breaths. "We could—" He hesitated a few moments, his eyes traveling from her bare thigh to her eyes. "We could test it right now, but only if you'd like."

Aria nodded vigoursly and immediatly brought her lips to his. One hand wrapped around his neck and pulled him close, the other grabbed onto his curly hair. It was enough of a "yes" for Ezra to continue. He carefully pushed her back onto the bed and held his body over hers. The new metal bed creaked, but fortunately for them, it wasn't a matter of importance anymore.

Ezra's fingers inched up the side of her body, slowly bringing her oversized t-shirt over her head. He threw it on the floor behind him. She did the same with his shirt. He did the same with her bra. His lips abandoned her mouth and moved to gently suck on the skin above her chest. The only clothing that seperated their bodies was the thin fabric of her panties. Aria lifted her body so Ezra could slide her panties down her legs. She cooperated and kicked them to the floor.

Every new home feels like a stranger's place until it has been lived and loved in long enough. Until the floor has been scuffed by the new owner's shoes, until a newborn is brought through the door for the first time. Or in Aria and Ezra's case, until the bed creaked louder and louder, alerting the walls of their presence. At once, they moved together and began to warm their home. It belonged to them, and they belonged to each other.

It was how it was _supposed_ to be forever.

The house was pretty damn sweaty before, but not as sweaty as the sheets were now. The only sounds in the room were the rustling of the sheets, the quiet moans, and the creaking of the metal frame. Until, inevitably, Aria's earlier handiwork seemed to fail the couple and a loud crash overwhelmed the dainty sounds of the rustling sheets. The bed suddenly fell to one side, and their moans were replaced by sudden, startled screams.

They didn't make it sturdy enough.

Ezra was still on top of Aria, shooting her an accusative glare. "Are you okay?" She nodded. "Did you happen to tighten the bolts when I asked?" Aria couldn't disguise the guilt on her face. They continued their stare-off for several moments, both trying to catch their breath, before Ezra climbed off the broken bed and pulled his boxers back on. She followed, holding a sheet around her naked body. He walked out of the room without looking back.

"Ezra, where are you going?"

"Sleeping on the couch," he angrily called down the hallway. "Are you going to join me or not?"

Aria tiptoed down the hall, still holding the large white sheet around her body. She didn't live with her parents anymore, so who said she couldn't sleep naked? It was hot. And so was her boyfriend. Ezra waited in front of the couch as she came around the corner and entered the sparse room that desperately needed to be lived in. His hands motioned to the couch, asking her to lay down first. He was still irritated and that bothered her. She lay down with her back against the couch and tugged the sheet over her body. He slid next to her with his body facing hers. They didn't have very much room to themselves. In fact, if the sheet weren't covering Aria, her breasts would've been touching his chest. He loosely slung one arm over her body and closed his eyes in preparation to go to sleep.

"How long are you going to be mad at me?" she asked in a low whisper. "I didn't mean to break the bed..."

Ezra opened his eyes, leaned forward, and brushed his lips across her forehead. "I _love_ you." He tightened his embrace and pulled her against his chest before closing his eyes again. She nuzzled her head into his chest with a content grin.

But little did they know, on this night in August, Rosie had officially made the first startling crash into their relationship.

* * *

**Oh damn, Rosie made her entrance to the story! In case you're new to my writing, I do not write M scenes. Next chapter, back to 2017!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


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